Flat stock finishing machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 FIGJ.

INVENTOR. ADAM ZIMM ERMAN BY 7Z% a ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1961 Filed Aug. 4, 1958 A. ZIMMERMAN FLAT STOCK FINISHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A AM ZIMMERM N ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1961 A. ZIMMERMAN 3,012,381

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W w w wfl MWJ United States Patent Ofilice 7 3,612,381 Patented Dec. 12, 1951 3,612,381 FLAT- STOCK FINISHING MACHINE Adam Zimmerman, Birmingham, Mich, assignor to Midwest Supply and Manufacturing Company, Ferndale, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 4, 1958, Ser. No. 752,851 4 (Ilaims. ((11. 51139) The present invention relates to improvements in a flat stock or sheet finishing machine of the type in which the work to be finished is advanced horizontally between a rapidly driven upper abrasive or like belt and a lower backing roller, commonly known as a billy roll.

A difiiculty has heretofore been experienced in the operation of such fiat stock finishing machines, in that it has been found impossible to operate on sheets to be polished or otherwise finished which are less than, say, .026 inch in thickness, unless specially guided, platen or like mounting means are employed to support and restrain the sheet stably for its travel between the finishing belt and billy roll. This results because the stock is forwarded into the bite of these mem ers by a set of advance feeding pinch rolls, being drawn away from the same by a similar set of driven pinch rolls, and because of the fact that the driven belt, operating at a linear speed up to 5,000 feet per minute, naturally tends to slam the stock forwardly against the last named set of pinch rolls. The force is such as to tend to buckle the stock as it is overshot violently into the bite of the rear pinch rolls.

Thus it has heretofore been possible to finish sheets of less than .026 inch gauge or thickness on a machine of this type only by mounting the sheet in an anchored or restrained way upon a horizontal platen for positively controlled travel between the belt and billy roll. Such platen is usually a reciprocatory one which is positively controlled from one end of the machine to hold the work from overshooting forwardly under the tractive effort of the high speed belt, in the fashion referred to above.

However, this expedient seriously restricts the use of the machine, inasmuch as it is impossible to line up a serics of similar machines for tandem operation successively on advancing pieces of work, for example with the machines making cuts or like passes of succeedingly increased fineness; although such tandem operation is possible when the stock is sufiiciently thick that it may simply be supported upon a compressible mat and be fed successively from one machine to another, without danger of buckling because its adequate thickness can withstand the objectionable overfecd tendency of the belt. Sheets of thickness less than that indicated cannot; and the availability of the machine is limited accordingly.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a fiat stock finishing machine which overcomes the above mentioned limitation as to sheet size, enabling sheets of substantially less thickness or gauge to be operated upon without possibility of damage; and in which successive high speed tandem operation of like machines is possible. The improved machine requires no special type of platen support; and stock in a thickness of as little as .012 inch has been very successfully finished.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a fiat stock finishing machine in which, in order to accomplish the foregoing advantageous results, the hilly roll is positively driven, but at a linear speed less than that of the belt, for example from one or the other of the two sets of stock feeding pinch rolls. This is in significant distinction from previous, generally similar machines, in which the billy roll has always been simply an idler.

The effect of this is that the hilly roll, positively driven but at alinear speed considerably less than that of the high speed finishing belt, acts as a brake on the sheet operation of the machine, in reference to maximum thinness of sheet which can be successfully handled, is more than doubled, and it can be coupled end to end with other machines for tandem production.

Another object is to provide a fiat stock belt finishing machine, characterized by a finishing belt driving roll driven positively by its own individual heavy duty drive motor, in which sets of forward and rear sheet feeding pinch rolls are positively driven by a further motor, with provisions by which the billy roll is positively driven in synchronism with these feed rolls. Such provisions may be in the form of a chain and sprocket or other flexible type power take-oil from one of the pinch roll sets.

A further object is to provide a finishing machine hav- I ing the individual drive motor means mentioned above, along with further provisions whereby successive similar machines may be readily and easily coupled for tandem operation, referably with a single motor driving the pinch feed and billy rolls of all of the machines.

Yet another object is to provide a fiat stock finishing machine in which the driven billy roll is mounted on a rocker type support, enabling it to accommodate itself to the line of polishing contact of the finishing belt with the work. The invention also contemplates the use of improved means, preferably of the air cylinder type, yieldably supporting the rocker mount for the billy roll, including adjustable provision to positively limit movement of the billy roll in the direction toward the belt.

The foregoing as well as other objects will become more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partially broken away, illustrating a generally conventional type of fiat stock finishing machine equipped with the improvements of the invention, the path of work through the machine being indicated by an arrow;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partially broken away in transverse vertical section (in relation to the work path) along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, the finishing belt being shown in vertical hatching;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary and schematic view in elevation of the front side of the machine, as.viewed from line 33 of FIG. 1, showing features of the improvement in regard to the driving and yieldable support of the billy roll,'with the hilly roll in an abnormal elevated position contacting the belt of the machine;

FIG. 4 is asimilar elevation of the rear side of a portion of the machine, as from line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view, partially broken away and in horizontal section along a line corresponding to line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, in which the major, and in the main conventional, components of the machine are shown, the latter includes a massive frame, designated 10, comprised of a rigid base 11 and a superstructure 12. This superstructure 12 includes standard provisions for the rotative mounting of a horizontal, transversely extending belt drive shaft 13, upon which a belt roll 14 is carried. A suitable endless abrasive or like finishing belt 15 is, trained at its lower loop end about the roll 14, with its upper end trained about asuitable idler roll (not shown).

Belt roll 14 is driven by an independent electric motor 16 of appropriate rating, this motor being shown as independently supported (FIGS. 1 and 2) upon a base 17 adjacent the rear side of the machine. The shaft of motor 16 has a multiple sheave pulley 18 secured thereon; and a belt unit 19 is trained about the pulley 18 and a further suitable pulley 20 fixed on the shaft of belt drive roll 14. Motor 16 thus drives the belt 15 at high linear speed, ranging up to 5,000 feet per minute, in a manner independent of other driving roll provisions, to be described; so that belt speed may be varied independently of pinch roll and billy roll speed.

The reference numeral 22 (FIG. 1) designates a second electric motor, which may be mounted upon an appropriate bracket or like support 23 adjustably carried by the frame base 11. Motor 22 drives a suitable variable speed power transmission unit 24, for example of the cone type, and the transmission unit 24 extends inwardly of the machine at one end thereof, where it drives a power shaft 25 by an appropriate connection.

As shown'in FIG. 4, the shaft 25 extends longitudinally of the machine, being suitably journalled in the frame superstructure 12, and has secured thereon two sets of worms 26, 27 and 28, 29, the-worms of the respective sets being longitudinally spaced relative to one another on the power shaft 25, and the sets being disposed respectively in gear housings 30, 31 on either side of the belt roll 14 and belt 15. Worms 26, 27, 28, 29 mesh with sets of worm wheels or gears 32, 33 fixed on shafts 34, 35 which shafts are journalled in the respective gear housings 30, 31.

The respective sets of shafts 34, 35 drive the feed in and feed out pinch rolls 36, 37 (FIG. 3) at the front and rear ends of the belt roll 14 and belt 15, in the sense of the work travel direction; and for this purpose the shafts referred to are connected to the pinch rolls through the agency of universal joints or couplings 38. The above-described structure is entirelyconventional, and it is seen that as the power shaft 25 is driven at a suitable speed the sets of pinch rolls 36 and 37 will be positively driven to advance work fed between the same toward the belt 15 and, upon its issuance from the latter, out of the machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the power shaft 25 is provided with suitable shaft couplings 39 at either end of the machine, whereby corresponding power shafts 25 of other similar machines may be coupled and driven together, thus to operate a series of the machines in tandem, with the machines equipped with belts 15 of different finishing quality, or driven. at different speeds.

' The reference numeral 41 in FIG. 3 designates the driven billy roll of the machine improved in accordance with the invention. The ends of this roll are'appropriately journalled in upright blocks 42 carried by a movable mounting frame 43 (FIGS. 3 and 5) which has a rocking support on a longitudinally extending axis, i.e., at 90 to the axes of the belt roll 14, billy roll 41 and pinch rolls. This rocker type support enables the billy roll, as carried by the frame 43, to make a true line contact at all times with work passing under the belt 15.

To this end, reference being had to FIG. 5, the supporting frame 43 is carried by a pair of longitudinally extending arms 44 which have horizontal pivots, at their extreme ends 45 remote from frame 43, on a generally horizontal rocker yoke 46, as by trunnions 47 on the yoke received in and supported by ball bearings on the ends of the arms 44. Yoke 46 is in turn pivotally mounted upon a longitudinally extending axis, as referred to above, being provided at its end adjacent the hilly roll mounting frame 43 with a pivot trunnion 48 rotatably received in a fixed depending bearing member 49. Member 49 is carried by a cross plate 50 suitably supported upon the base 11; and at its rear end being suitably journalled at 51 in a similarly supported cross plate 52. A hand Wheel 53 and connected shaft 54 enable the position of the yoke 46 and associated elements to be adjusted in a way not germane to the invention.

It is thus seen that the yoke 46, in pivoting about the axis of the bearings or trunnions 47 and 48, 51 enables the floating billy roll frame 43 to position the bearing member 49 and 'billy roll 41 at all times for true line contact with a workpiece along the entire length of belt 15 as the latter passes at high linear speed around the belt roll 14.

As indicated above, the principle'of the'invention requires the billy roll 41 to be positively driven at a linear speed less than that of the belt 15, to the end that as the work issues rearwardly of the latter, the driven billy roll will act as a control brake and prevent overshooting of the work into the bite of the rear pinch rolls 37. For this purpose, the roll 41 is provided with a sprocket or pulley 56 about which a chain or belt 57 is trained, and the belt 57 is driven by a sprocket or pulley 58 fixed on the shaft of one of the pinch rolls 36 laterally adjacent the billy roil. Feeding and braking speeds are thus properly coordinated as desired.

In order to sustain the billy roll, its floating supporting frame 43 is provided on its lower side and centrally of its length, as shown in FIG. 3, with a threadedly adjustable pressure anvil or plate 60, which is upwardly engaged by an anti-friction roller 61 on an arm 62 fixed on a transverse shaft'63 suitably supported by the base 11 of the machine. Adjacent the front side of the machine, the shaft 63 has secured thereon a further crank arm 64, which depends beneath shaft 63 and is pivotally connected at 65 to the plunger 66 of an air cylinder 67.

The air cylinder 67 is suitably pivoted at 68 on the base 11, and has pneumatic connections 69, 7G to its opposite ends. Connections 69, 79' extend to a suitable source of air pressure, and means for its reversing control (not shown but typified by the control unit 71) adjoin the usual control and instrument panel 72 of the machine. Accordingly, with air pressure applied to cylinder 67 through the connection '69, the crank arm 64 rocks shaft '63 clockwise, with the result that the arm 62 fixed on shaft 63 urges the floating supporting frame 43 upwardly through the agency of the anti-friction roller 61 and pressure plate 60.

This movement is limited by a fixedly mounted, ad-

justable stop device 74, including a movably adjustable stop or abutment element 75 which may bevariably positioned by the manipulation of a hand wheel 76 oper-atively connected thereto.

From the foregoing, it'is seen that, with a minimum and very inexpensive modification of an existing belt type fiat stock finishing machine the range of use of the machine is considerably expanded. This eliminates the cost and inconvenience of a special work holder to positively hold thin work sheets from overshooting and buckling against the rear pinch rolls 37, which type of equipment unsuits the machine for tandem operation. Such operation is possible in the use of the present machine by simply connecting others at the drive shaft couplings 37, employing the single motor 22 to drive the coupled equipment. t v What I claim as my invention is:

l. A machine for finishing fiat stock, comprising a frame, a finishing member mounted by said frame, means to drive said finishing member for rotative action on the stock at high linear speed and about a longitudinal axis, a backing roll to support stock operated on by said finishing member, said backing roll being rotatable on a longitudinal axis paralleling and on one side of the axis of rotative action of said finishing member, means mounting said backing roll for bodily movement relative to said finishing member, including a mount pivoted relative to said frame on an axis paralleling and to one side or" the axes of the finishing member and backing roll, and means pivoting the backing roll on said mount to rock freely about an axis intersecting a plane through the axes of said backing roll and finishing member, to thereby render said backing roll automatically positionable to maintain contact with the work longitudinally of said last named axes, pairs of feed-in and feed-out rollers respectively mounted on axes paralleling and on opposite sides of said plane through said finishing member and backing roll axes, and in position to advance the stock to and from said finishing member and roll, and means for positively driving said backing roll at a linear speed substantially less than that of said finishing member, whereby to exert controlling restraint on stock advanced between said finishing member and backing roll.

2. A machine for finishing flat stock, comprising a frame, a finishing member mounted by said frame, means to drive said finishing member for rotative action on the stock at high linear speed and about a longitudinal axis, a backing roll to support stock operated on by said finishing member, said backing roll being rotatable On a longitudinal axis paralleling and on one side of the axis of rotative action of said finishing member, means mounting said backing roll for bodily movement relative to said finishing member, including a mount pivotal relative to said frame on an axis paralleling and to one side of the axes of the finishing member and backing roll, and means pivoting the backing roll on said mount intermediate the length of the roll to rock freely about an axis intersecting a plane through the axes of said backing roll and finishing member, to thereby render said backing roll automatically positionable to maintain contact with the work longitudinally of said last named axes, pairs of feed-in and feed-out rollers respectively mounted on axes paralleling and on opposite sides of said plane through said finishing member and backing roll axes, and in position to advance the stock to and from said finishing member and roll, means positively driving said rollers, and means for positively driving said backing roll at a linear speed substantially less than that of said finishing member, whereby to exert controlling restraint on stock advanced between said finishing member and backing roll.

3. A machine for finishing flat stock, comprising a frame, a finishing member mounted by said frame, means to drive said finishing member for rotative action on the stock at high linear speed and about a longitudinal axis, a backing roll to supportstock operated on by said finishing member, said backing roll being rotatable on a longitudinal axis paralleling and on one side of the axis of rotative action of said finishing member, means mounting said backing roll for bodily movement relative to said finishing member, including a mount pivoted relative to said frame on an axis paralleling and to one side of the axes of the finishing member and backing roll, and means pivoting the backing roll on said mount intermediate the length of the roll to rock freely about an axis intersecting a plane through the axes of said backing roll and finishing member, to thereby render said backing roll automatically positionable to maintain contact with the work longitudinally of said last named axes, pairs of feed-in and feedout rollers respectively mounted on axes paralleling and on opposite sides of said plane through said finishing member and backing roll axes, and in position to advance the stock to and from said finishing member and roll, means positively driving said rollers, independently of said finish ng member, and means for positively driving said backing roll from one of said rollers at a linear speed substantially less than that of said finishing member, whereby to exert controlling restraint on stock advanced between said finishing member and backing roll.

4. A machine for finishing fiat stock, comprising a frame, a finishing member mounted by said frame, means to drive said finishing member for rotative action on the stock at high linear speed and about a longitudinal axis, a backing roll to support stock operated on by said finishing member, said backing roll being rotatable on a longitudinal axis paralleling and on one side of the axis of rotative action of said finishing member, means mounting said backing roll for bodily movement relative to said finishing member, including a mount pivoted relative to said frame on an axis paralleling and to one side of the axes of the finishing member and backing roll, and means pivoting the backing roll on said mount intermediate the length of the roll to rock freely about an axis intersecting a plane through the axes of said backing roll and finishing member, to thereby render said backing roll automatically positionable to maintain contact with the Work longitudinally of said last named axes, pairs of feed-in and feedout rollers respectively mounted on axes paralleling and on opposite sides of said plane through said finishing member and backing roll axes, and in position to advance the stock to and from said finishing member and roll, means positively driving said rollers, independently of said finishing member, means for positively driving said backing roll from one of said rollers at a linear speed substantially less than that of said finishing member, whereby to exert controlling restraint on stock advanced between said finishing member and backing roll, means to yieldably urge said backing roll for said bodily movement in a direction toward said finishing member, and adjustable means to limit the movement of said backing roll as so urged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,248,191 Pratt July 8, 1941 2,257,305 Nickerson Sept. 30, 1941 2,674,833 Cheverton et al Apr. 13, 1954 2,715,301 Kelham Aug. 16, 1955 2,744,363 Gluck May 8, 1956 2,759,301 Valette et al Aug. 21, 1956 2,876,600 Pendergast Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 394,720 Great Britain July 6, 1933 539,946 Canada Apr. 23, 1957 

